


Baa Baa Fell Star

by Datcowboi



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Fire Emblem: Kakusei | Fire Emblem: Awakening
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Crossover, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, F/M, Friendship, Grief/Mourning, M/M, Maybe smut eventual
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-18
Updated: 2021-03-22
Packaged: 2021-03-27 15:09:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,016
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30124701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Datcowboi/pseuds/Datcowboi
Summary: Sothis, in a last-ditch effort, saves Byleth's life once again by teleporting her to a place far away from Fódlan. Byleth wakes up in a foreign field surrounded by three people of different mannerisms and customs. A kind man gives a simple introduction, "My name is Chrom".Follow along as Byleth leaves the role of professor and takes up the new title: Tactician of the Shepherds.{ Tags will change as the story progresses }
Comments: 9
Kudos: 26





	1. A New Place, A New Face.

When Byleth was six years old, she had played with a group of village children while her father handled a job. The kids took turns climbing up the tallest tree that Byleth, at the time, had ever seen. Little hands and feet desperately clinging to the bark as each child raced to be crowned ‘King of all of Fódlan’. Some kids said curses and others laughed, but Byleth kept her emotionless face as her eyes aimed to the top. If she became King of all Fódlan, then perhaps her father would have more time for her. Her first declaration as king would be no more mercenary work. The idea made her hum in delight as she began to get higher and higher. She had gotten so high in fact, that all of the other children felt intimidated and uneasy. Some called for her to come down, other’s called her a fool for going so high. Regardless; Blyeth was crowned the winner. 

Though a fool’s game only comes with a fool’s prize. 

The Prussian blue-haired girl was stuck. The other kids had long since abandoned her to her doom, and Byleth was left wondering if a family of birds would adopt her. Time was uncertain to her as she watched the sky turn from a bright blue to a warm orange. It wasn’t until the sky threatened to be engulfed in the darkness that Byleth’s rescue had arrived. Jeralt Eisner stood at the bottom of the tree with his arms crossed, Byleth could hear the sigh even this high up. Jeralt cupped his hands around his mouth and gave a heavy shout. 

“Jump down, kid, I’ll catch ya’.” The request was much easier said than done. Byleth was certain this had to be at least a thousand feet in the air, her father was the tallest man in the world to her and this tree was at least three times his size. Though she trusted her father more than anything in this world which allowed her to swallow this uneasy feeling the rested in her belly. Shaky legs stood on the branch she rested on. 

  
  


_ Wait, you fool. _

The internal warning came all too late, and Byleth heard the sharp crack of the wood before losing her footing. A wave of something pulsed through her veins as she watched the orange sky. This feeling was fear and she decided she did not like this feeling. Though this feeling of fear was quickly subdued by her Father’s arms catching her. It felt warm and comforting even if he was mumbling something about how she needs to be more careful. At that moment she didn’t mind the scolding, even letting her eyes crinkle a bit before closing them. She felt safe. 

That same feeling of fear had once again returned to her. Within her twenty years of living, she understood fear. She was no longer a child falling from a tree, but a grown woman falling into a canyon. She wasn’t scared of dying, her years of mercenary work had hardened her to such a fear. What she was afraid of was the unknown; she still had so many questions unanswered. Who was she, what was she, what will happen to Rhea, would her students be okay without her? All these thoughts flooded through her head as she watched the orange sky. She closed her eyes when she felt them start to water and sting; she hoped that her father would be at the end to catch her once again. 

A fool’s dream. 

  
  


*~*~*~*

_ How long do you intend to sleep? _

  
  


The voice caught her attention as if she was a student being scolded by their professor for daydreaming. The feeling was odd; she felt awake but she couldn’t see anything. It wasn’t quite darkness since there were green lights peaking through some unseeable ceiling, and the feeling of self was completely gone. She felt more like a spirit floating around. Is this how Sothis had felt. Her own personal thoughts had drifted back to slight hums and hymns she could faintly hear. She felt that same safety and comfort as she did in her father's arms many years ago. If this was death; then death was nothing to fear at all. 

  
  


_ This place...In order to survive, they kill. And so, the people of this world are lost in an abyss of suffering. They weep as well. _

  
  


The time she heard, or rather was aware, of the voice had confused her. Was she talking about Garreg Mach? How long had she been in this endless abyss? What had happened to her students? Her relaxed state became tense as she attempted to regain focus on her surroundings. She heard the voice give a heavy sigh as if it could see her struggling. 

  
  


_ I have given you another chance at life, Byleth, please do not waste it. Give me your hand. _

  
  


*~*~*~*

“Give me your hand.” 

Mint hues took a moment to get adjusted to the light. Her back and various other parts ached as if she had been laying in this... _field_ for quite some time. Was all that truly a dream? Byleth hesitated when she saw the gloved hand reach out towards her. She considered pulling the hidden dagger out of her pants to threaten the man, though her eyes caught sight of the blonde girl next to him. The look of absolute worry on the girl’s face was enough to ease Byleth of any threats. That and her body was still coming out of its unknown amount of time rest.  Still, Byleth pushed herself up using her hands. A slight ‘o’ escaping her mouth when she realized that the Sword of the Creator was still in her hand. Whatever these people were, they were not bandits. The blue-haired man gave a small smile as he watched her, even letting out a little laugh as he backed up a few steps to give her room. Byleth gave a quick look around to examine the open field around her. It wasn’t as cold as the mountains that harvested Garreg Mach; she also didn’t recognize any sort of familiar landmarks. When Byleth had become a professor she took it upon herself to learn most landmarks in Fódlan since her father had not done so before. Her wandering eye stopped when the man cleared his throat. 

“You all right?” He questioned as the blonde took a step behind him. Perhaps her actions were unsettling them; Claude had told her once that she had a habit of looking like she was never satisfied. 

“Where am I?” Byleth questioned as she looked back and forth between the two of them. It was then that she noticed another man; he was much older, fully dressed out in knight armor, and had a face that Annette and Mercedes would call handsome. A frown came onto Byleth’s face; she missed her blue lions. Wherever they were, she had hoped that they were okay. The knight made eye contact with her and their eyebrows narrowed. Byleth looked at the blue-haired man again. 

“You do not know where you are?” Blue hair questioned but quickly took it back as if he had offended her. “ **We** are in Ylisse.” 

Byleth paused for a moment, she thought back on all the maps and books she had read. Not a single one had mentioned a Ylisse before. She looked between the three of them before giving a soft shake of her head. The blonde looked worried for a second, blue seemed a bit taken back, and the knight simply rolled his eyes as he began to approach the trio. 

“You’ve never heard of Halidom of Ylisse? HA!” The laugh stung at something in Byleth. She felt like she was being belittled the same way Claude, Dimitri, and ….  _ Her _ did the first time she had met them. Back then, she did not care what others thought of her. Byleth’s only scale of if someone should be respected came from how they handled a sword. Though now she had tasted companionship and realized that her upbringing was not quite normal. 

“Someone pay this actress. They play quite the fool.” The knight approached her, his eyes glaring down at her as she kept her face ashen. His dark brown hues broke away from her to look at the blue-haired man. “The blank face is especially convincing. I say we handle this wolf now before it sticks their claws into our flock.” The statement made the blue-haired man place a hand on his head and let out a heavy sigh. 

“Fredrick, please, we can’t just leave her here; alone and confused.” The blonde gave a fast nod as she stepped forward to have her turn to speak. 

“We should take her back to town and sort this out there!” Frederick turned his head with a small hmph before giving Byleth another look. 

“Excellent idea, Lissa. Oh!” The blue-haired looked as if he remembered something important. His smile softening his face before speaking. “ Introductions! My name is Chrom,” he placed both hands on Lissa’s shoulder as Lissa gave a whine. “This delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa.” The comment made Lissa instantly shot a nasty glare at her brother. 

“I am NOT delicate! Ignore my brother, _please_. He can be a bit thick sometimes. But you're lucky the Shepherds found you. Brigands would've been a rude awakening!” Lissa nodded as she crossed her arms; the large staff in her hands at a slight angle. The comment made Byleth blink a bit. Before pondering on what they meant by shepherds. Surely they would not be tending to sheep in full armor. The thought sounded so silly to Byleth that she was sure Sothis would have given her an earful. Another frown came on her face; she missed Sothis. The blue-haired boy noticed the frown before releasing Lissa from his grasp. 

“Next we have your newest friend; Frederick the Wary.” The tease called Frederick to eye-roll.

“A title I shall wear with pride. Gods forbid one of us keeps an appropriate level of caution. I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station mandates otherwise.” Byleth beamed a bit at the word Gods. One of her tasks at Garreg Mach was learning about the Goddess in great detail. Rhea would slip a few facts and history lessons in their weekly meetings, and Byleth was expected to attend service since she was a staff member. With the term _Gods_ being used so lightly and whatever these _brigands_ are, Byleth came to a conclusion: This was not Fódlan. 

“And my name is Chrom.” Chrom gave Byleth a smile as he reached out his gloved hand once more. Byleth thought for a second; these people spoke her tongue, yet their customs and clothing were not anything she had experienced before. If she wanted to survive in this unknown land and make it back to Fódlan, she would need some allies. Byleth took his hand into hers, giving it a firm shake, and spoke. 

“My name is Byleth.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This idea has been on my brain for almost two months now. The song 'Exploration' from the Coraline album really inspired all of this. I just love the visual of all of them just walking down through the wild with that song softly playing in the background. I'll do my best to not use so much in-game dialogue in future chapters.
> 
> This is the first fanfiction I have ever written, and I love some constructive criticism!
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read through all this! (๑°꒵°๑)


	2. Attack on Southtown and the Burning Forest.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Shepherds make their way to Southtown to discuss what to do about Byleth, Byleth shows off her skills with a whip and knowledge of constellations, and we learn that five really is a crowd.

The Shepherds had made a camp not too far from Byleth’s resting area. Only two horses were seen tied to a post in the ground; a white Lipizzan and a rich brown Destrier. Byleth curiously looked at the horses as Chrom and Frederick began to pick up their camp. She could faintly hear Frederick make several remarks about how this was a foolish idea, but nothing too clear to confirm if that she was the subject of the foolish idea. Her hand reached up and began to stroke the white horses’ neck. 

“Palomo always steals the hearts of others.” The voice came from the young girl named Lissa. Byleth studied the blonde for a moment; her hair was wild and untamed, her crinoline peeking through the yellow fabric of her dress, a white apron tied around her waist, and a staff resting behind her back. Byleth wondered if it was some sort of fancy walking stick.

“Are they yours?” Byleth questioned as she watched Lissa take a spot next to her to pet the brown warhorse. Lissa shook her head with a soft ‘ _ mm mmm _ ’. 

“She’s Chroms’, Maribelle would have a heart attack if she saw me riding Palomo.” Lissa chuckled at what Byleth assumed was the mental image of this Maribelle panicking. “ Though Chrom can’t control her either, he’s terrible at riding.” Lissa gave Byleth a look before giggling at her own tease. Byleth let a small smile form on her face as she watched the girl. She was much younger than any of her students. Her admiring was cut short when Frederick approached the two, his eyes still narrowed at the sight of Byleth. 

“ We are preparing to leave. “ 

*~*~*~*

The  quartet made their way through the field relatively silent. Byleth walked alongside Chrom’s horse with Frederick on his great stallion behind them. Little Lissa sat on Frederick’s horse letting out small hums to distract herself from the uncomfortable silence between the four of them. Byleth could feel the glare of the knight on the back of her mint-covered head; while Chrom let his blue hues switch between her side profile and the sword that rested on her side. The feeling of alienation was creeping up her spine with each passing moment in silence. Even with her recently discovered the sense of emotions from merging with Sothis, Byleth was hardly a conversation starter. It didn’t help that Frederick insisted she walks ahead of them _ just in case _ . Chrom had made a protest on the implied accusation, but Byleth merely shook her head and obeyed. 

“ So, Byleth, “ Lissa finally began to attempt to conversate. “Where did you say you were from again? You didn’t know we were in Yilsse, so that has to mean you traveled here from somewhere else.” She hummed a bit as Frederick gave her a look from over his shoulder. 

“ I grew up as a mercenary and traveled all over Fódlan.” The newfound information caused the three to share a puzzled face; each fitting with their current standpoint of Byleth. “Though my father--” Byleth felt a heavy ping in her chest. Chrom must have noticed the sudden shift in her mannerisms because his face seemed to soften as if expecting her to cry. “-- took a job at Garreg Mach Monastery, and I was given a professor position.” Frederick let out a loud scoff, Lissa gave him a playful slap on the back. 

“They let a traveling mercenary that carries a sword of bones become a teacher at a place of divinity? HA! Who would believe such a preposterous story?” Frederick shook his head as he gave another look to Chrom; though Chrom continued to stare at Byleth intrigued. 

“Fódlan?” Chrom tapped his chin slightly before Byleth looked at him, her eyes lighting up slightly. Perhaps he knew how to return to her home, or at least give her some sort of insight on the outcome of Edelgard’s rebellion. “I’ve never heard of such a place, is it foreign?” Frederick let out a noise of disapproval and opened his mouth to question the man’s thought process. 

“Milord, please do not play along with this jest.” Frederick almost sounded like he was pleading at this point. The tone made Lissa giggle as Chrom turned his head to possibly ask what was wrong with asking the origins of their newfound friend. Though his question was cut short when he noticed that Byleth had stopped walking. The action caused Frederick to reach for his lance, but Chrom shook his head softly to ease his tension. Those mint hues squinted slightly as she stared off into the distance.

“There’s a fire up ahead.” The words caused Lissa to tense up and frantically look between Chrom and Frederick, her ocean eyes widening up a bit as she began to take notice of the smoke in the far far distance. 

“Ch-Chrom?” She questioned as Frederick let out a sharp  _ tsk _ . Byleth began into a small jog towards the distant city, Chrom turned to look at Frederick and began to bark orders. 

“Damn it! Those bastards... Frederick, you two ride into town, quickly!” Frederick hesitated for a moment as Lissa let out a small protest about leaving Chrom behind. 

“What about her?” Frederick motioned towards Byleth who was making a dash towards the city. 

“Unless she is to burst into flames as well, it’ll be fine.” Chrom gave a gentle kick of his heels into the horses’ side before zooming past the two. Frederick let out an ‘ _ aptly put, milord _ ’ under his breath before forcing his own horse to break out in a gallop. 

Byleth watched as Frederick and Lissa galloped past her. A hint of worry creeping onto her as she watched poor Lissa hold onto for dear life. Though her worried was cut short when she realized that Chrom has stopped in front of her. He stuck out a hand and motioned for her to climb up. The conversation from earlier crept back into her mind and she shook her head. This action confused Chrom, but he didn’t have time to speak as she started to climb on the horse. 

“Scoot back.” The demand escaped her lip as she was mid-climb. Chrom realized that if he didn’t scoot back she would be sitting on his lap, and he decided he would simply die of nerves and embarrassment if that happened so, he listened. Byleth took the reins in her hands and gave a quick ‘ _ yah _ ’ before Palomo followed suit in her own gallop. Chrom held onto Byleth tightly and did his absolute best to not get sick. 

*~*~*~*

By the time that Byleth and Chrom had reached the city, Frederick was already giving out orders for those to evacuate. Chrom jumped off his horse and regained his footing before searching out for his sister and Frederick. When he caught sight of Lissa he ran towards her to make sure that she was alright. Byleth watched only for a moment before approaching Frederick. He only gave her a quick look before taking his horse's reins once more. 

“ If you mean to mock us with that sword of yours, you would do better off hiding with the women and children.” Frederick did not bother giving her another look before charging off on his horse with Byleth following behind after him. It wasn’t long after that she was able to see the true strength of this knight. His upper body strength was incredible, he was able to take down several enemies with his lance while remaining on his warhorse. His strength had reminded her a lot of Dimitri, but she had no time to let that heart-wrenching ping overtake her now. 

“St-Stay away from me!” Byleth’s attention turned to the screams of a young woman. She saw a group of bandits pull her down to the ground by her hair, each of them laughing as she curled up into a fetal position to guard herself against their hands. Without hesitation, Byleth ran towards the group and took out the sword of the creator. The bandits noticed her and gave a wicked grin. 

“Well, a little sheepy has come to the slaughter I see.” The largest bandit licked his lips as he dropped the woman he was previously occupied with. The largest one took a step towards her, but Byleth’s attention was slightly shifted as Chrom approached the situation from the right. “Aw, how cute. What’s wrong, _ princess _ , can’t do your job without--” Chrom was about to open his mouth to possibly protect Byleth’s honor, but his words fell short when he saw her sword light up then disband like some sort of whip. The bone blade crashed into the bandit’s skull before he dropped to the ground. One of the other bandits part of the group let out a terrified yell and ran off. While the other two were too distracted by the fall of their comrade. This gave both Byleth and Chrom enough time to charge at the other two and finish them off as well with their respected weapons. 

Once the city was declared safe, Frederick began to usher those back into town and out of their hiding spaces. Lissa went with other healers and began to help heal those that had gotten injured during the raid. Chrom walked through the small healing area looking for his new friend. When he couldn’t seem to find her, a frown presented itself on his face. Perhaps she had run off once they were busy with the survivors? The question was quickly erased from his mind when he saw her outside of the church. His frown being replaced with a smile as he realized she was with the young maiden they had rescued earlier. A light green glow escaping her fingertips as she hovered over the scrapes and bruises of the other. 

Blyeth noticed that Chrom was watching her while leaning against the church. She studied him for a second before he began to approach her. Her mint eyes turned back to the maiden before stopping her healing magic. 

“Sorry, I was never good at healing,” Byleth admitted as she helped the girl up. The girl shook her head rapidly and then laced her fingers together. 

“No, milady, you are Naga sent.” When the maiden realized Chrom was approaching, she gave a polite curtsy before running off towards the healing tent.

“Are you all right, Byleth? You had me worried when I saw you rushing into danger.” Chrom spoke to her as his eyes watched the young maiden reunite with her family.

“I have handled those far more threatening than bandits. Don’t worry.” Byleth dusted off the fabric over her knees before looking back at the blue-haired man. 

  
“You’re certainly no helpless victim, that much is for sure.” He broke eye contact to look at the sword then back to Byleth. Something in Chrom’s eyes twinkled, but Byleth didn’t have time to think long about it before she heard another’s voice. 

“By!” The nickname caused her to blink as Lissa stepped in the middle of Chrom and Byleth. She quickly took Byleth’s hands into her own and began to shake them up and down. “You’re totally incredible! You’re able to fight AND use magic without a tome?” 

“Your skill level is quite impressive for someone your age.” Frederick had also approached the group but didn’t hold the same enthusiasm as Lissa. “Why would a warrior as skilled as you waste your talent by sleeping outside of the Ylisse's border?” Byleth frowned at his words before shaking her head. 

“I understand your skepticism, but do not paint me out to be an enemy.” Frederick raised an eyebrow as her eyebrows narrowed quite a bit. “The Goddess, Sothis, teleported me after  Thales shot me with a miasma spell. I fell off a cliff and I don’t know what happened after that.” Byleth looked down and made her hand into a fist. “I don’t know what happened to any of my students or Rhea.” She spoke above a whisper, but quickly looked up when she felt a gloved hand be placed upon her shoulder. Chrom was the one to touch her and give her that same understanding look as before. 

“You fought to save Ylissean lives. My heart says that’s enough to trust you.” 

“Your heart may say yes, but what does your mind say, milord? Does it not alarm you that she speaks of false idols and spells unknown? '' Frederick shook his head as Lissa crossed her arms at him. Chrom removed his hand from Byleth’s shoulder to address the knight. 

“ Frederick, the Shepherds could use someone with Byleth’s talents. Need I remind you of the brigands and unruly neighbors all looking to bloody our soil? Would you really let your own paranoia have us lose such an able warrior and tactician?” Chrom turned away from Frederick and gave his attention back to Byleth. “Besides, I believe her story, odd as it might be,” it felt more like he was reassuring Byleth rather than soothing Frederick’s worries “you wish to return to this F ó dlan correct? I give you my word; if you lend us your strength, I will do everything I can to help you return to your home.” Chrom watched as Byleth’s eyes slightly crinkled and the smallest smile formed on her face. “So how about it? Will you join us, Byleth?” She gave a head nod and Chrom let his own smile form. Frederick was the one to clear his throat in his hand before speaking again. 

“Did you happen to notice, milord, that the bandits spoke with a Plegian accent?” Byleth turned her head to look at Frederick before speaking again. 

“Plegian?” Byleth questioned before looking between the three of them. Chrom decided to speak up before Frederick went on another rant on why Byleth is obviously pulling their leg. 

“Plegia is Ylisee’s westerly neighbor,” Chrom noted as Byleth gave a nod of understanding. “They send in small bands into our territory hoping to instigate a war.” Lissa was the next one to start talking with a stomp of her foot. 

“And those barbarians target the totally innocent and helpless townsfolk. It’s not fair.” Lissa looked down slightly as if trying to compose her emotions. Frederick crossed his arms behind his back before speaking. 

“Do not worry, milady. The Shepherds will always protect the sheep.” Byleth watched as Lissa drew something in the dirt with her foot while letting out a soft ‘I know’. Though her mood was quickly lifted as she made two fists. 

“I just have to get strong like Chrom so I can protect everyone.” Chrom let out a small chuckle at his sister’s enthusiasm. She stopped her small little dance of self-encouragement when she saw two people approaching. “Hey, isn’t that the girl you guys saved earlier?” Byleth and Chrom saw the young maiden approaching with an older man. 

“Milord, you are a blessing from the Gods.” The old man cried out as the young maiden looked rather embarrassed. “You have saved my daughter from such treacherous foes, please let me repair you the best I can. We can toast your valor with a feast and give you a room.” Lissa’s eyes lit up as she grabbed both Chrom and Byleth’s hands. Frederick eyed the girl as she began to list all the reasons she was excited to stay in an inn. 

“You are most generous, sir, and no doubt your hospitality would be grand--” 

“Oh I hope that the meat is medium well and the drink is--” 

  
  


“But I am afraid we must hurry back to Ylisstol.” Lissa froze her listing when Frederick’s words finally broke through her. 

“HUH?! We’re not staying?” She whined as she looked at Chrom for some sort of help. When Chrom gave her an ‘I’m staying out of this’ headshake, she turned her attention to Frederick. Even giving a little foot stomp at her protest. “Frederick, it’s nearly dark!” To Byleth’s surprise: Frederick let out a laugh. 

“When night falls, we’ll camp under the stars. Eat off the land, make our bed of twigs and the like.” Frederick walked past the three to go prepare the horses. He stopped when Lissa gave a loud ‘ **but** ’. “I believe you mentioned you would be ‘ _ getting used to this’ _ ?” 

“I was talking about the fighting, not sleeping outside!” Chrom laughed at his sister as she chased after Frederick to try and weasel her way into letting them stay the night. 

“It seems that Frederick only smiles when he’s about to bring down the ax.” Byleth mentioned which caused Chrom to laugh. 

“I’m glad to see you are getting accustomed to him. He means well, sometimes too well. We should follow suit, or else Frederick will give us another earful.” Chrom rubbed the back of his head as he looked towards the two getting further and further away. “Oh. I suppose you aren’t aware of this: Ylisstol is the capital, it’s not far from here.” Byleth nodded as the two began to walk and talk. 

*~*~*~*

The Shepherds made a small camp in a clearing in the woods. Byleth and Chrom looked for firewood together, Frederick did the clearing, and Lissa-- well she didn’t complain as much after a bug flew into her mouth. Once the camp was established: Chrom, Byleth, and Frederick went hunting and gathering for dinner. They managed to ambush and trap an elder bear to turn into dinner for the four of them. Byleth  _ helped _ Lissa skin and cook the bear, granted it was mostly Byleth doing the work while Lissa looked like she was going to be sick. It wasn’t long after that the four of them sat around the fire and ate together. 

“ Now this is a real treat!” Chrom beamed as he took a bite out of the wild game. Byleth couldn’t help that he looked like a small child enjoying their treat. “It’s not every day you get to experience bear meat.” Lissa merely frowned at her serving and pushed it towards Chrom. 

“Couldn’t the Gods spear us an animal normal people eat for once,” Lissa whined as she shook her head “I mean, come on! Ladies aren’t expected to eat bears. Right, Byleth?” Lissa looked towards Byleth from across the fire, but her face fell as she watched Byleth reach over Chrom to grab Lissa’s abandoned plate. 

“ Come on, By, back me up here,” Lissa whined as she laid on her side. Chrom laughed and Frederick shook his head. 

“I haven’t had wild game since my father and I traveled as mercenaries.” Byleth would be a liar if she said she didn’t enjoy the food at the monastery, but this was a sense of comfort for her. It felt like she was returning back to her roots, back when everything was simple. 

“Every experience makes us stronger, milady. Even those we don’t enjoy.” Frederick added as Lissa gave him a face. 

“Then how come I don’t see YOU eating it, Frederick?” She crossed her arms and Frederick cleared his throat. 

“ Oh, well… Milord and his  _ guest _ are rather hungry. I would not want to take away from those without.” Frederick lied and gave a fake smile with his eyes closed. Byleth turned to look at him as she dropped Lissa’s abandoned plate in his lap. 

“ Have Lissa’s share,” Byleth suggested as Frederick’s face fell. The action caused both Lissa and Chrom to laugh. 

It wasn’t long after that Frederick moved to sleep further away from the rest. He stated that it would be easier for him to notify them of any unwanted visitors before it was too late. Lissa eventually fell asleep in the same spot she laid on her side during dinner. Byleth laid on her back to look up at the stars, and Chrom joined her shortly after he was sure Lissa was asleep. At first, he sat by her right side up but soon joined her position in laying on his back. The two laid in silence for an unknown amount of time before Chrom broke the ice. 

“Do you know of any constellations, Byleth?” Byleth looked at him before looking back up at the stars. 

“Just one. When I was younger, my father told me the story of Ursa Major and Minor.” She lifted her hand to trace out the star alignment. “An unfaithful mage changed one of his lovers into a bear to hide her from his wife. Their bastard son came across the bear one day when he was hunting. To keep him from killing his own mother, the mage turned him into another bear and sent them both up to the sky. Together, they became the Big and Little Bear—Ursa Major and Ursa Minor.” She noticed that Chrom was watching her as she spoke. Chrom soon lifted his own hair to trace out his own pattern of this constellation. 

“In Ylisse we are taught that; some bandits were chasing a bear through the forest. The bandits ran into three dragons who attacked and killed all the bandits, except for three. Then, the three survivors and the bear were transported into the sky, where the chase continues to this day. The bear is formed by the four stars in the cup of the dipper,” he began to drift his hand towards Byleth to trace out the four stars. “And the three stars in the handle represent--” his hand bumped into Byleth. A silence fell before Chrom sat up, his face turned away from Byleth. 

“Chrom?” Byleth questioned as she watched him stand up. 

“I shouldn’t keep you up so late with stories,” even in the dim light of the dying fire Byleth could see the soft glow of his face. “Perhaps you can tell me more stories of Fódlan when we get to the capital?” Byleth let her eyes crinkle as she gave a nod. The gesture was reciprocated by Chrom as he wished a goodnight before returning to his spot by his sister. 

*~*~*~*

For the first time in a long time, Byleth did not have the same dream of war or the darkness that usually replaced it. Instead, she had a dream of Edelgard. She was running towards her, though she held no weapon. Her hands outstretched as she tried to reach her in this never-ending hallway. With every step, Byleth felt herself sinking into the darkness around her. She opened her mouth to cry out, but nothing escaped. Edelgard turned her head as Byleth was nearly swallowed whole by the darkness, she opened her mouth to speak but it was not her voice that came out. 

“ _ Byleth, wake up! _ ” 

Byleth’s mint eyes flashed open as she felt her body ache with sleep. She looked around slightly before realizing that everyone was asleep. She sat up silently, doing her best not to wake up Chrom or Lissa. She lingered in the eerie silence of the woods for a few moments before finally whispering; “Sothis?” 

“ _ How come every time something is of most importance, you are asleep! _ ” 

She felt her eyes instantly water as the voice rang through her head. She quickly looked every which way trying to find her lost friend. 

“Sothis, where are you? Where are WE? What has happened to the Monastery?” She whispered as she stood up. She heard Sothis let out her usually grumble when Byleth asked too many questions at once. 

“  _ I see you are still acting like a spoiled child. Always demanding me for answers instead of finding them out yourself! Listen to me; Byleth, before you ask another question, I need you to try and manipulate time once again.  _ ”

The request caused Byleth to pause, she had not attempted to use Divine Pulse since the death of her father. Though Sothis did sound almost worried and concerned which was rare for her, so Byleth agreed. She walked away from the campsite in hopes to find something that she could test her rewind on. It took her a few minutes, but she eventually found a frog hopping from one branch to another. Byleth took a few deep breaths before she lifted her hand to begin the time-reversal. After an awkward amount of nothing changing, she heard Sothis sigh. 

_ “My fear has come true. My power is not strong here in the slightest, I’m afraid I will be no use to you in this land.” _

The comment caused Byleth to frown. She was not concerned about using the divine power to manipulate time, she was merely happy that she was not alone in this foreign land. She leaned against the tree as she finally let the tears that were threatening to fall release. They weren’t sad tears like she cried for her father, but almost as if the joy that filled her belly was too much. 

“Sothis, where have you been?” 

“ _ You fool, I said I would always be with you! But perhaps you would have preferred it if I had vanished-- _ ” 

An uncomfortable silence filled the night, and a panic thought went through Byleth’s mind. Was her conversation with Sothis merely a mirage? She went to call out for her friend when the sound of a twig breaking caught her attention. She reached for her sword but quickly relaxed when gloved hands presented themselves.

“Apologizes, Byleth, but something felt amiss,” Chrom spoke as he watched her lower her sword. “Are you alright? I heard you talking to someone.” Byleth went to answer Chrom, but the sudden sound of Sothis voice caused her to stop. 

_ “Byleth, something is coming.”  _

As if on cue, the ground began to shake and Chrom let out a frustrated yell. Byleth gripped onto the tree to keep her footing, though she let out her own silent yelp as the ground began to crack open. An unbearable heat releasing from the cracks as Byleth attempted to peek inside, her morbid curiosity was cut short when she heard Chrom yell. 

“Byleth, jump!” The Earth was no longer level as fireballs shot from beneath the ground to set the forest ablaze. Byleth gave an understood nod before taking a few steps back to help with her momentum. Another fireball shot from the ground to catch the tree she was just leaning on fire; this pumped her body with the needed adrenaline to make the jump. Chrom caught her arm and the two broke off in a brisk run. They made their way towards the edge of the forest before finally stopping. Chrom let go of Byleth’s arm to catch his breath as she watched the sky rain fire. 

Eyes squinted as she saw something forming in the sky. It was like all the stars that once painted the night sky had begun to cluster before forming this magic ring with various symbols Byleth had never seen before. In the center of this ring was a closed blue eye. She tapped Chrom on his shoulder then pointed to the sky when she had his attention. A look of uncertainty painted on Chrom’s face as the eye opened; just as three large humanoid creatures dropped from it. They fell as if they were lifeless but quickly rose with an achy screech that sent a chill down Byleth’s spine. Her hands quickly pulled out The Sword of the Creator and took a step in front of Chrom to protect him from these beings. 

These things were fast. Black smoke oozed from their mouth as they lunged towards Chrom and Byleth. Byleth gave one swing of her whiplike sword at the creatures, but the creatures continued to make their way towards them. ‘ _ No use _ ’ she thought to herself as she quickly recalled the whip, and began to use it like any other sword. She managed to bring one down by stabbing it in the back and debated asking Sothis if she knew what these creatures were. Though her train of thought was quickly disrupted when she saw that two of those creatures were backing Chrom up to a corner. Byleth said a small curse as she ran towards Chrom.

That’s when she saw them. 

Another figure had joined their fight. It was hard to make them out even with the illuminated forest around them. This newcomer was much faster than Byleth, and even managed to block an ax attack going straight for Chrom’s head. Chrom didn’t hesitate, he quickly began to fight the other creature now that it was an even match. The stranger was struggling to keep their footing as they gave a raspy ‘ _ help _ ’ before Byleth ran towards them once again. She made a battle cry which caused this creature to look up at her. With this distraction, the newcomer was able to slice one way with their sword while Byleth sliced the other way. The creature dissipated into a cloud of dark smoke. Chrom had managed to defeat the other one on his own before joining the two. 

“Quite the entrance.” Chrom quietly spoke as he took the spot by Byleth. The stranger remained to look towards the forest. “What’s your name?” Before the other could answer, Frederick and Lissa were seen riding Frederick’s warhorse. Lissa jumped off the horse and ran towards Chrom with tears in her eyes. 

“Milord, are you hurt?” Frederick questioned before he noticed the stranger.

“Thanks to our masked friend here; neither I nor Byleth is hurt.” Chrom gestured towards the masked hero as Lissa turned to them with tears in her eyes. 

“You saved my brother’s life, thank you, stranger.” She sniffled a bit before wiping her eyes. The masked stranger turned their head to face the general direction of Lissa before just giving a nod. 

“My name is Chrom. Might I ask yours?” Chrom smiled as he approached the stranger, though this action caused them to take a step back. 

“You may call me Marth.” Byleth noticed that the comment caused the other three to be taken aback. 

“Marth? You were named after the heroic king of old? A strong name for a strong fighter! Tell me, where did you learn to wield a sword?” Chrom took another step towards Marth but stopped when Marth shook their head. 

“I’m not here to talk about me. This world teeters at the brink of horrible calamity.” The mask covered Marth’s eyes entirely, but Byleth could have sworn that they were staring right at her. “What you saw tonight was but a prelude. Take that as a warning.” Marth said no more before walking towards the woods not let touched by fire. 

“Should we go after them, milord?” Frederick questioned as Chrom shook his head. “Very well, I suggest we head towards the capital. Who knows if those horrible creatures had made their way there.” Frederick helped Lissa get on the horse before climbing up himself. Byleth frowned as she realized Palomo was nowhere in sight. Chrom placed a hand on her shoulder before speaking. 

“Do not fear, friend, Palomo knows the way home. I am sure she is alright.” Byleth gave a nod and four of them began their journey to the capital. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just some quick notes: 
> 
> \- I am trying to keep this only in Byleth's point of view (I know the scene where Chrom notices that she is missing technically isn't her POV, but the idea was way too cute for me to pass up) so that's why it was her and Chrom that experienced 'Marth' rather then Lissa and Chrom. 
> 
> \- The reason that Sully and Virion aren't in this chapter is that I didn't want to make this super long and overwhelming. I was a bit paranoid that I did too much in this chapter rather than just focusing on one instance. 
> 
> \- The idea that Chrom is unable to ride comes from this screenshot from Fire Emblem Heros: https://gamepress.gg/feheroes/sites/fireemblem/files/2018-03/Screenshot_20180324-114658_Fire%20Emblem%20Heroes.jpg
> 
> \- This story doesn't have a strict schedule as of yet on how the chapters will come out. I would love to keep it updated twice a week, but I don't want to make any promises. 
> 
> \- Thank you so much for the comments and kudos. Seeing the little inbox notification really warms my heart <3
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to read through all this! (๑°꒵°๑)


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